Flat drop knife



B. F. GRENNAN FLAT DROP KNIFE Filed Aug. 18. 1927 Y gan/www@ @3M/; www

VPatenfed Mgr-2711930 4 1,760,405

UNITED'STATES PATENT @met BENJAMINFGIQENNAN."or" :MEW Yoann. Y., ASSIGNOR To EAGLE Principi. company,

1 25 usediorcutting purposes.

`5,101?NEW 10pm .N4 Y1, A olironarmnor DELAWAnE y FLAT DBOPKNIFE Abpneanan meanuguse is, 11927; ser-iai nq. 213,720.

Thisinvention relates generally to pocket Fig. 5 isa section on the line 5 5 of Fig. B. cutlery and has particular refereneeto im-` Fig. 6` is audetail of the finger piece for provements in the mechanism for opening operating the` blade11atch.` A and closing devices of thexcharacter indir- Fig. 7 s a cross section througha Iform of. 111,5 cated.. 1 1 latch having the finger-piece formedintegral l5 `One objectof:theinventionis to provide, with the latch. p in apocket knieLoflthe type havingblades 11F ig.` 8 is a full side View of the latch re;4

movable substantially endwise in and out of terred to in the description of Fig. 7. 1 a handle, a latching mechanism which will f The knife .shown in the drawings is one `110 securely hold the bladein either the opened of the kind1 known in the trade asa-r drop 60 o r `closed position and which is` unlikely to knife, that is., the blade moves inor out by get outoorder.: 1 1 gravity. Itis also of theflat type whichA is- "Another ob'ect is toprovide a` general Aorso popular in Athe pocket cutlery ield. ganization1whi1ch,1while adaptable toother Thejlrnife handle 1()` is a hollow shell-of 15 formait,particularly valuable inconnectioll any desired material providedwtha slot 11 65 .p `with pocket knivesof the popularilat type; in one end and an opening `12 inwo-le of its Still another object is to provide a conedges or sides. The opposite end of the shell struction in which the blade or a bladeisgclosed by alcap 13 held place as herecarrying'elementis so `guidedand supported matter described. 1 1 1 Y 20 that it, may `move freely to the inner and Within the handle 10 is a shell 16 wliichis 7o outer positions with `respect to the handle, wedged at one end in the tapered portion 17 butwhichawillatthe same time prevent ex- `of the handle and carries 4at its other end an cessiwe 1 angular movement of the blade with extension 180i1 suiicient Widthloit tightly respect tothehandle when the blade is being within thejcap 1,3.. The extension 18 lies flat y against oneoi1 the sides ofthe cap 13 @(see 75 `,Vihile1 the invention is particularly suit- Fig. 2) and isprovided With a 5.1013921 which able :for use in pocket cutlery, it is, as will l1S .engaged by one of the in-jtnrnedends 20 later be clearly apparent, capable of use 1in ot abow `231, said inl-turned ends alsolexconnection `with other 'devices such as pencils tending through `circular holesinthe -handle 30 andsimilar instruments. i 1Q and cap 13. Itis apparentthat-the-,bow eo 1 the `foregoing and `other 4.objectsin serves -tohold thehandle1.0,cap113 and shell View, the invention `consists in a novel con- 16 1`1Ogcther1- andthat the shell 1S11111y1held struction and combination of parts, the novel 1n position 1n the handle. 1 0 ,y .1 features of whichare pointed out in appended The Ishell1116. is of suiiicient size and is'of 35 claims,1 1and an embodiment of which, suitsuch shape .on its `interior as to :form a guide `e5 able `for illustrating the inventiomis shown for an element 22; carrying a blade portion inthe drawings accompanying.andormmg` 23. Gorrugat1ons24iormed inwardin the a parti of `this application. ,Shell 16 lmay beused to guidetheelemcnt v`22 Insaid drawings: in such a way as to limit the latter itosubf 11140 Figs. 1 and Qshow respectively whatrmay stantially endwlse movement. g 1 1 eo views of one :ormof the improved knife, 26 `and a latching 1collarl27 ,surrounds the with the top part` :0f the latter incross sec? shell and engagesin said cutaway` portion. tion,` 1 1 A ilatspring 28passes throughthe, collar 2f( for convenience be termed side and 4edge One edgelof dtheshelll iscutfaway as at 'l i 145 Fig, 3is1a side view `ottheknife with parts at ,the side 1oppositethe cut away `portion 26 e5 breken away toshow how the blade is latched and Lserves normally to `,l1-Qld the -collarin such in1its1 inner position. 1 1 1 a .position that (one sideof the collar isseated Fig. 4.1is similarto Fig. 3, but shows how in the cut away :portion asshown. p

the `blade ,is latched in itsA outer` or cutting The upper edge-Blof the collar127 10.00.1391" 1 .50 pqsition, 1 ateswitliashoulderon the blade carrying ico it is necessar to shift thecollar 27 against the tension o the spring 28 to bring the interior of the collar in alignment with 'the corresponding portion of the interior ofthe shell 16. This movement of the collar is effected from the exterior of the handle Vby finger y pressure applied to a rib 34 formed on the collar 27, or, preferably, formed in a small separate piece, asshown in Figs. 5 and 6, resting againstthe collar. In either construction the rib 34 projects outward through the opening 12 in the side' of the handle far enough jtopermit shifting vthe collar 27 by finger pressure on the rib to release the blade.

The `shell 16 and all other parts'directly associated with the blade are'so designed or shaped as to hold the bladeagainst excessive angular movement with respect to the handle when the knifeV is used for cutting, although theparts-cannot lit so tightly as to interfere withthe sliding movement of the blade element.

From the foregoing it is'thought that the construction and operationareclear, but it might be stated that to open the knife it is only necessary to hold it with the slot 1l downward and press upon the rib 34 to carry the upper edge of the collar 27 out of the path of the shoulder 32 and then release the collar to permitV the spring 28 to return the collar to its original position,.thereby bringing the lower edge of the collar above the end of the element 22. To close the knife it is, held with the slotted end 11 upwardand the rib 34 pressed inward to release the element 22 and rmit it to drop back` into the interior of the ife land be latched in the inner position when `the rib 34 is released. Q

While the construction shown and described is admirably adapted to fulfill the purposes rimarily stated, the invention is capable o various changes and embodiments, allcolning within the scope of the claims which follow. l

What I claim is A 1. A device ofthe character described comprising a hollow handle provided with a slot in one of its ends, an element movable in the handle provided with a blade portion constructed to pass in and out through the slot and a rejection co-operating with the interior ofp the handle adjacent the slotto limit outward movement of the blade, a guiding element within the handle surrounding the blade element and having a cut-awayportion in one of its sides, a latching collar surrounding the guiding element and working in said cut-away portion and co-operating with the blade element, a spring normally holding the latching collar in latching positon, and means operable from the exterior of the handle opposite the aforesaid cut-away portion formoving the latching element against its spring to release theblade element.

2; Adevice ofthe character described comprising a hollow handle provided with a slot in oneof its ends and an opening along one of `its sides,'an element movable in the handle ,provided'with a bladeportion constructed to pass in and out through the slot and having a projection co-operating with the interior of the handle adjacent the slot to limit outward movement ofthe blade, a guiding element within the handle'limiting the blad-e element to endwise movement and having an opening in the side'thereof oppositeA the aforesaid opening in the side of the handle, a latching elementv carried by the guiding element and co-operating` through the opening in said guiding element with the bladei element to latch the latter with the blade in leither the inner or outer position with respect to the aforesaid slot, a` springnormally holding the latching element in latching position, and means operablel through the aforesaid opening in tie, handle to move the latching element against its spring to unlatch the blade element. Y

A device of the'character described comprising the combination of a` hollow handle provided with a slot in one of its ends, a blade movable in the handle and carryinga projection (3o-operating with the handle adjacent said slot to limit movement of the blade outward of the slot, a guiding `element'for the blade within the handle having a cut-away portion in one of its sides, a collar surrounding said element and,l cut-*away` portion and co-operating 'with the aforesaid projection to latch the blade within the handle and element and with the inner end of the blade to latch the blade in its outer or exposed position, a spring normally holding the collar in latching position, and means operable from the exterior of the handle to operate the collar to unlatch the blade. 4. Avdevice of the character described comprising the combination of a hollow handle provided with a slot in one of its ends, an element movable in the handle provided with a. blade portion constructed to pass in and out through the slot and a projection co-operating with the interior ofthe handle to limit outward movement of the blade, a guiding element for the blade element within the handle and having a cut-away portion in one of its sides, a collar engaging in said cutaway portionl and surrounding the guiding element,'on`e edge of said collar co-operating with the aforesaid projection to latch the llO blade in retracted position and the other edge with the inner end of the blade element to latch the element with the blade projecting through the aforesaid slot, a spring holding n the collar normally in latching position, and means operablefrom the exterior of the knife handle for moving the collar againstv said spring to carry the latching edges of the collar out of latching position.

5. A device of the character described comprisinga fiat, hollowV handle having a slot in one of its ends and an opening substantially n half-way along one of `its edges, a guiding element formed from a single sheetof metal to conform to the shape of the interior of the knife handle and having a cut-away portion in the edge farthest from the opening in the handle, a fiat collar having one side normally resting in the aforesaid cut-away portion7 a spring between the opposite side of the collar and the guiding element serving to hold the collar in the cut-away portion, a blade carrying element movable by gravity end-wise in the guiding element to carry the blade in or out through the end slot in the handle and provided with portions engageable by the part of the collar in the aforesaid cut-away portion to latch the blade in outer or inner position, and means operable through the opening in the handle to shift the collar against its spring to carry the portion normally Vin said cut-away portion out i of locking position to free the blade carrying element for movement.

6. A device of the character described comprising a flat, hollow handle having a slot in one of its ends, said end being tapered, a guiding element formed from a single sheet ofmetal within the handle having one end wedged in the tapered end .of the handle, a

cap closing the other end of the handle and engaging an extension formed on the guiding element to hold the guiding element in position,` said handle, cap and extension having aligned perfor-ations, a bow engaging through said perforations in the handle, cap and extension on the guide to hold the parts specified together, a blade carrying element movable endwise in the guiding element, and latching devices operable from the exterior of the handle for controlling movements of the blade carrying element.

ln testimony whereof I hereto aiix my signature.

BENJAMIN F. GRENNANL 

